How to vote for Kesha – so it counts!

As the lights come up for movie week on Australian Idol, Jindabyne’s Kesha Nevé will step onto the stage with a simple goal: to make her small Snowy Mountains hometown proud.

The 21-year-old singer and competitive skier has now made it into the show’s Top 3, a milestone that has transformed a lifelong dream into a national moment.

Now the stakes are rising.

For Kesha, the journey to that stage began far from television cameras, in the small alpine town of Jindabyne, where music has always been part of her life.

Her father even gifted her a guitar at birth, setting the tone for a childhood where music and adventure existed side by side.

“My dad has definitely been the biggest influence musically for me,” she said. “I’ve grown up with many guitars in the house, there’s always been music playing or someone humming a tune.”

Growing up in the Snowy Mountains meant Kesha developed another passion as well: skiing.

A competitive skier, she spent much of her youth carving through alpine slopes while nurturing a parallel dream of performing musically.

For a time, the idea of pursuing skiing professionally crossed her mind.

But the pull of music proved stronger.

“Music has always been plan A, B and C,” she said. “I’ve loved skiing ever since I can remember and I’ll keep that hobby with me for life, but in the end, music is all I think about.”

Kesha’s first real taste of performing came at the local talent competition, Jindy Idol, when she was just eight years old.

Standing on stage in front of a cheering hometown crowd proved to be a defining moment.

“From as soon as I walked onto that stage and saw my community backing and supporting me, I knew music was all I wanted to do,” she said.

Since then, she has been a familiar face on stages across the region, busking as a child, playing gigs around the Snowy Mountains and regularly performing at the Man from Snowy River Hotel in Jindabyne, where her parents first met.

Kesha’s music, known for her distinctive husky voice and acoustic guitar performances, carries the imprint of the place she grew up, as the landscapes and lifestyle of the Snowy Mountains shape her songwriting.

“I’ll always stay true to where I’m from and the people I grew up with,” she said. “I’ve said since being on Idol that I’m doing this for Jindy, and I’ll stick to that until the end.

“I think it’s the most important thing, in all the chaos, to remember where you came from and the people who have been there from day one.”

Kesha’s love of country music and rural life also feeds into her stories.

“I love country music and farming in general,” she said. “That way of life will always have some impact on the songs I write and the way I live.”

The move from regional stages to national television has been, in her words, “life-changing”.

Being surrounded by experienced producers, musicians and fellow contestants has pushed Kesha to grow quickly as an artist.

“The Australian Idol experience has been nothing short of incredible,” she said “Every day I’m here, I feel more and more grateful for the opportunity. I’ve already learned so much about myself as an artist.”

Her performances throughout the competition have steadily built a following and caught the attention of the judging panel, Amy Shark, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands,  who have repeatedly praised Kesha’s distinctive husky tone.

The judges have also praised her natural stage presence and emotional connection to songs, while encouraging her to push her vocals further and take bigger risks as the competition intensifies.

Back home, the response from the Snowy Mountains community has been overwhelming.

Social media posts, messages and watch parties have turned each broadcast into a hometown event.

“My beautiful community has been so amazing,” Kesha said. “Seeing all the messages, posts and comments from everyone back home has been so motivational. It makes me want to keep progressing for everyone in Jindy.”

Kesha’s path on the show has included performances of songs by artists ranging from Keith Urban to Hozier, showcasing both her country roots and her ability to take on big contemporary hits.

Now, as the competition enters its live stage, the pressure, and opportunity, grow.

The eventual winner will receive $100,000 in prize money, a recording package with Hive Sound Studios, a songwriting camp with Sony Music Publishing, industry marketing support, and VIP invitations to the ARIA Awards and TV Week Logie Awards.

But for Kesha, the real dream lies beyond the show.

She hopes to release her own music and take it on the road, first across Australia, and eventually around the world.

“My dream career is definitely touring and sharing my music with as many people as possible,” she said. “I want to release my own music, EPs and albums and tell my stories through my songs.”

You can watch or stream Australian Idol now via the 7+ website. 

Adapted from information first published on About Regional 16 March 2026 | By Edwina Mason

https://aboutregional.com.au/from-the-slopes-to-the-spotlight-jindabynes-kesha-oayola-chases-australian-idol-dream/